FAQ

What does Istikana mean?
What's with the subscriptions?
How can I subscribe?
How much does it cost to subscribe?
I don't have a credit card, what do I do?
I've subscribed, but cannot access the content
I would like to unsubscribe, how do I do that?
How can I watch on various devices?
Have any other questions? Or just want to chat to us?

What does Istikana mean?

Istikana is an Arabic word used to describe a unique-looking glass used mostly to drink tea. The word originated during the British colonization of much of the Middle East who referred to this unique-looking glass as "East Tea Can". With time the word evolved to "Is-Ti-Kan-a" - Istikana.

We hope that the word will evolve further to reflect a unique viewing experience of Arabic Films and TV Shows we strive to provide.

What's with the subscriptions?

We believe strongly that piracy is illegal and hurts everyone, so we don't do it. For content producers to continue to produce great work, their work needs to be protected and rewarded financially. Piracy kills that incentive and disturbs this production cycle. The modest subscription fee we request helps protect and support the Arabic Film and TV industry in the MENA region. For the price of one istikana of tea, you can watch everything on Istikana, with unlimited viewing - want to watch for 24 hours straight? No problem :)

How can I subscribe?

Really easy. All you have to do is go to the subscription page and follow the instructions. Its 3 easy steps:

1. Register - this lets us know who you are. You can easily register with one click using Facebook, Google, or create an Istikana account.
2. Pick your payment method - We have several ways of paying, including PayPal, credit card or through your mobile operator (in selected countries).
3. Enjoy the shows - Now the world of Arabic film and TV shows are open to you. Just sit back, relax and enjoy.

Remember, you can go through this process on any device - PC, Android application, iOS (through Safari) or your mobile web browser.

You only have to subscribe ONCE, then you can use ALL your devices.

How can I subscribe?

On average, according to the fees and taxes of this service in each country, the cost of subscription is $7.99 (US Dollars) per month with various payment methods.

We've made that easy. You can pay using your mobile operator through SMS. That means that your subscription will appear on your mobile phone bill. Nice and easy.

We're striving to add more non-credit card methods - stay tuned for more ways to pay

I've subscribed, but cannot access the content

Please email support@isitkana.com making sure to include the following details so that we can help you quickly:

• How you subscribed (Google Play, Credit Card/PayPal, Mobile phone operator)
• If by mobile phone operator, which operator in which country and your mobile number
• What device you used to subscribe

I would like to unsubscribe, how do I do that?

That makes us sad :(

But of course we respect your choice, and here's how to do it.

Please log in to your account then go to the Settings page on your device

On the desktop and your mobile browser this should be visible at the top

On your Android device, simply access Settings through the menu button

There you will see the option to unsubscribe. Just click it, confirm, and you're done.

To unsubscribe via SMS, send the following messages:

How can I watch on various devices?

Web: This is easy. Just use your browser as you normally would and go to www.istikana.com, we do the rest.

Android:

We have a great app in the Google Play store, and download the istikana application ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.istikana.android.app.play ). Install the app, login and you're good to go. Dont forget that if you're subscribed, you can download chosen episodes for OFFLINE VIEWING :) - watch without an internet connection.

Apple iPhone or iPad:

Just go to www.istikana.com on your web browser (e.g. Safari, Chrome etc) and surf as usual, just login and you're good to go.

Other devices: Just go to www.istikana.com on your web browser (e.g. Safari, Chrome etc) and surf as usual, just login and you're good to go.

Smart TV:

Currently we only have an app supporting Samsung Smart TVs. If you have a Samsung Smart TV - then please go ahead and download it from the Samsung App store. Please note that we the TV app does yet fully support subscription services. We are working hard to bring you an update that will enable the full service you love very soon

TVs in general:

There are several ways you can use your laptop/desktop and mobile devices to watch Istikana on the big screen. Though we don't directly support this, we can give some guidance, because we love to watch our shows on the big screen too.

There are two main ways to do this:

1. A direct connection from PC/Mac to TV. Typically this will involve you connecting the TV and the PC/Mac via an HDMI cable. You will need to find out how that works for your specific PC/Mac. Many newer laptops have HDMI connections, so for those its quite easy.
2. Streaming from PC/Mac/Mobile device to TV. There are several TVs and devices that allow you to stream your content to your TV from your PC/Mac/Mobile device. If you have an Apple device (Mac, iOS), you could use an Apple TV device with AirPlay.

For other devices, please refer to your manufacturer's documentation to see how you can stream to your TV.

Have any other questions? Or just want to chat to us?

Please contact us on support@istikana.com and we'll be happy to assist you.